"For this project I wanted to create something totally opposite to the technology-driven trends based on the emergence of new digital tools such as 3D printing," said Tjepkema.

"I like the idea that bronze is precious and is therefore implicitly sustainable, it is either preserved or remelted but never discarded, who knows maybe these pieces contain a couple of remelted ancient bronze swords!"

The Bronze Age collection follows on from the studio's 2011 Recession Chair – a mass-produced Ikea chair reduced in part to a skeletal shape to evoke the receding state of the global economy.

Tjep. created a new version of this chair in bronze, with the original form in the patinated green condition of the material and the pared back section in its shiny metallic state.

Other seats in the collection are made entirely in the emaciated style. These include an arm chair, a dining chair, a lounge chair and a chaise long.

Each features thin elements that vary in thickness along their lengths and larger uneven surfaces that distort reflections.

The collection was exhibited in the ballroom of the Colloredo Mansfeld Palace during Designblok Prague, which took place last week.

Design Miami:Belgian designer Jens Praet used bronze drapes cast from sheets of cloth to dress these pieces of brass furniture.

Jens Praet created the Dressed collection in collaboration with his father, artist Jan Praet. "What I did is take leftover fabric and cut it in a triangular shape," Praet told Dezeen at the Industry Gallery booth at Design Miami. "All the fabric is then dipped in hot wax, and when it’s still hot you drape it over the under-structure."

The finished piece is then cast from this wax model in bronze and given an oxidised copper patina, before being placed on top of the brushed brass under-structure.

Dressed is a series of contemporary furniture items composed by bronze dresses and brass under-structures, designed in collaboration with Jens’ father and artist Jan Praet.

Leftover and discarded fabric has been immortalised in functional art objects. To this end triangular shaped fabric is being dipped in hot wax, draped and shaped by hand over a rigid under-structure and cast in bronze.

The bronze dresses, patinated in a reminiscent oxidised green color, are placed over a contrasting geometrical brushed brass under-structure in order to complete the functionality of each furniture item.

Each item is the result of different production steps, and in order to preserve the tactile feeling of the fabric, most is done by hand. The bronze patina and brushed brass surface may slightly vary in color over time, a beautiful aspect that is characteristic to the ageing process of these archaic materials. Each Dressed piece is unique.

]]>http://www.dezeen.com/2012/12/12/dressed-collection-bronze-brass-furniture-by-jens-praet/feed/1Domkyrkoforum byCarmen Izquierdohttp://www.dezeen.com/2012/04/17/domkyrkoforum-bycarmen-izquierdo/
http://www.dezeen.com/2012/04/17/domkyrkoforum-bycarmen-izquierdo/#commentsMon, 16 Apr 2012 23:01:34 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=204119Slideshow: a bronzed box window peers out like a periscope from the auditorium of this cathedral visitor's centre in Lund, Sweden, by architect Carmen Izquierdo. Located opposite the cathedral, the two-storey Domkyrkoforum building is clad entirely in the bronze-coloured brass alloy, which will continually darken with age. Entrances lead into a double-height atrium from both a public plaza at the […]

The site of the new cathedral forum is central Lund, in direct connection to the cathedral itself. On the site is situated the existing "Arken" house, which is a building of historical value.

The new building aims to integrate itself in the urban fabric in a natural way, by adapting to the scale and lines of the surrounding cityscape.

At the same time our vision has been to create a contemporary building that adds a new layer to the many historic layers that characterize the urban environment of central Lund.

The shape of the building creates new adjacent public spaces: The entrance plaza towards Kyrkogatan street, the entrance passage facing the cathedral, and a triangular square towards Kungsgatan street.

In addition to the welcoming exterior spaces an internal atrium is created, as well as an interior courtyard, shaped by the existing and the new building.

The central public space in the building is the entrance hall that is reached from both entrances. The entrance hall is formed as a meeting space; a general and generous which can hold various activities like reception, exhibitions and a cafe.

A two-storey atrium allows daylight to enter from above, while visually integrating the public spaces with the congregational facilities on the second storey. The auditorium is conceived as a unique space, with its skylight pointing up towards the cathedral towers.

The exterior is a simple yet characteristic volumes, its lines playing with the surrounding buildings.

Towards Kyrkogatan street the roof lines of the Arken house are continued over the entrance plaza.

Towards the cathedral the entrance is signaled by the characteristic skylight.

The facade of the building is made of a brass alloy, a natural material that ages with a rich and living texture, allowing the building to age into its surroundings; at the inauguration it shimmers like gold, but in a couple of years it will have oxidized into a deep and matte bronze color.

The interior of the building is cast in concrete with form of wooden boards.

The massive and heavy character of the material is balanced by the play of light in the interior spaces.

]]>http://www.dezeen.com/2012/04/17/domkyrkoforum-bycarmen-izquierdo/feed/1Bronze Age by Philippe-Albert Lefebvrehttp://www.dezeen.com/2010/07/23/bronze-age-by-philippe-albert-lefebvre/
http://www.dezeen.com/2010/07/23/bronze-age-by-philippe-albert-lefebvre/#commentsFri, 23 Jul 2010 12:00:20 +0000http://www.dezeen.com/?p=88607Canadian designer Philippe-Albert Lefebvre has created a range of fire tools by casting hand-carved branches in bronze and iron. Called Bronze Age, the set consists of a poker and shovel sand-cast in bronze, and fire dogs cast in iron. Lefebvre completed the project while studying at the ECAL University of Art and Design in Lausanne, Switzerland. Here's […]